Sugarloaf Peak — Attraction in Taggerty

We originally planned to take the Canyon Track, but after reading several reviews about the Wells Cave Track, we decided to give it a try. Both my partner and I are fairly confident hikers, though not very experienced with rock climbing or scrambling, while our four friends were beginners in both hiking and climbing. The positive reviews gave us the confidence to go ahead—and it turned out to be a great decision.

Key Sections of Wells Cave Track

The First Climb The initial climb was quite sudden and definitely the most challenging part for everyone. There were limited handholds, and the section felt very exposed, so we ended up crawling our way up.

Wells Cave This was the highlight of the track. The cave still had some natural light, but it can feel claustrophobic for people uncomfortable with darkness or tight spaces. There are a few big steps to take, and the last portion of the cave narrows considerably—making it tricky for larger people or anyone carrying a bulky backpack. Since we’re relatively small, we managed without too much trouble.

The Final Section The last part of the track was both challenging and a little intimidating. There are two options: • The exposed side route: Easier to navigate, but one side is completely open. At 168 cm tall, I managed fine, though it required caution. There’s also a fallen tree in this section—be careful not to grab any broken branches for support. • The inside scramble: This requires more technical use of both hands and feet. Two of my friends attempted it, and I had to give them a hand up by standing on a rock wedged between boulders.

Overall, it was an incredible and rewarding hike. Everyone in our group enjoyed it. After completing Wells Cave, we continued via Razorback Track to Farmyard, then descended through Jawbone Creek Track. From there, we followed the gravel road back to the Sugarloaf Peak...

From Sugarloaf Saddle carpark to Sugarloaf Peak and back is only a 2km/2hr route. However the Cave Wells track and the Canyon track are two very different routes. The Canyon track is a family friendly route with some rocks towards the peak.

The Cave Wells route, marked as “Steep rocky terrain, challenging rock climbing in rugged, exposed situations…” should only be done if you have some rock climbing experience. That said, if you have done a wall or two this will be easy enough. The route alternates between short walks and short freehand rock wall climbs, and is recommended only for ascent. You take the Canyon route back down.

After a short walk up the hill, it's free hand rock climbing time, in the middle of the route is a squeeze through a "cave" (really a narrow space between cliff walls). In the middle section I had to take off my back pack to get through the gap and couldn't actually see anything and hit my head. Wouldn't try it if you're claustrophobic, but the dark tight part was very short. After that there was a shuffling up a rock beside a tree. If you have a pack it's best done with your legs outstretched and back against the wall, backpack on the front.

I would recommend not taking a pack if you don't need to. A running belt is always good for water and snacks. Wear good shoes, as the rocks do get slippery when wet, and I wouldn't recommend going alone.

I would absolutely do it again, but wait...

The views are amazing but, mainly, I'm just here to warn people: This is HARD. Unless you do bouldering, climbing etc regularly and love doing insanely hard hikes, then, no matter how hard you think this is, it's harder. You will have to climb up rocks, basically close to vertically, multiple times for 10-20 metres. You will have to through very narrow caves, so if you're (as I found out here) claustrophobic like me, you will either have to find another way round (as I did) or give up. Expect to take much longer than you thought doing this and if it's raining etc, just turn round and go home. Even on a day with perfect weather this was absurdly hard, with bad weather it'd be next to impossible and extremely dangerous. Don't bother bringing poles because they won't help you one bit and, in fact, will just get in the way, as you will need your hands free to climb. Maybe bring climbing gloves. In short this is NOT a hike, it is basically a climbing and bouldering exercise with some hiking thrown in. I enjoyed it somehow (and, again, the views are AMAZING), but in hindsight I wouldn't have come without properly preparing and improving my fitness beforehand. We saw many, even healthy, people struggle while we did it so if you aren't ready for the hardest hike of your life, save yourself and...